The federal government is backing men’s and women’s sheds in Far North Queensland by unlocking new fundraising potential. Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said the government would introduce a new law that will make donations to men’s and women’s sheds tax deductable. He said this meant from 1 July 2020 anyone who donates $2 or…
Far North Queensland farmers will eventually be able to receive financial incentives for managing the biodiversity on their farms. Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said a $30 million pilot program would pay farmers for improving biodiversity on their farms, and in appropriate cases also for carbon. He said $4 million would also be invested in…
The federal government is investing a further $50 million to improve an iconic tourist route between Tropical North Queensland and the Northern Territory. The funding will go towards sealing the unsealed sections of the Gulf Savannah Way, which has been identified through the federal government’s $3.5 billion Roads of Strategic Importance initiative. This announcement is…
The federal government will invest $190 million towards the Peninsula Development Road – Stage Two Project – to ensure sealing works along the ‘bucket list’ road continue. The Peninsula Development Road has been listed as part of the federal government’s $3.5 billion Roads of Strategic Importance initiative. This announcement is part of a wider $730…
A federal government trial offering Cairns and Far North Queensland businesses a wage subsidy to take on new apprentices is underway with new apprentices signing up at 42 local businesses. The $60 million Australian Apprenticeships Wage Subsidy commenced on 1 January 2019 offering employers subsidies worth 75 per cent of the apprentice’s award wage in…
The federal government will invest a further $9 million to protect Queensland’s World Heritage Wet Tropics to reducing the threat of yellow crazy ants. Additional funding will be allocated in next week’s federal budget to further address the serious threat from this highly invasive pest. Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said he had fought hard…
The federal government will provide $9 million to Mission Australia to fund a new Cairns-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre. This initiative continues the federal government’s unprecedented $720 million investment in drug and alcohol treatment services. Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said government funding will support a 12-week holistic rehabilitation program and the development of…
The federal government has boosted funding for grants from the Safer Communities Fund following recent events in New Zealand. This latest funding announcement brings the total amount available under the Safer Communities Fund to $119.9 million between 2016-17 and 2020-21. To date around 340 grants have been made, including for many projects across Cairns and…
Four Cape York communities will receive much-needed safety upgrades after the federal government announced $175,500 in funding for four airstrips across the region. Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said the funding would deliver upgrade works at the Laura, Lakeland, Pascoe Rive Station and Cooktown airstrips. He said the upgrades will be funded under Round 6…
The federal government has delivered another increase to payment rates for pension and allowance recipients in Far North Queensland. Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said payments including Age Pension, Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment will increase by $9.90 a fortnight to $926.20 for singles and by $14.80 a fortnight to $1,396.20 for couples combined.…